Metallic building wall



J1me 1958 H. H. BROWN ET AL v 2,83

METALLIC BUILDING WALL IN VEN TORS.

HAEOLD H. BR

V'VYHJJAM COC'JK AT TO 2N EYS June 3,1958 9. H. BROWN HAL 2,837,153

METALLIC BUILDING WALL Filed Dec. 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR5.

HAROLD H. seoww BYWILLIAM cooK ATTOQN EYs June 3, 1958 'H H. BROWN ETAL 2,837,153

METALLIC BUILDING WALL Filed Dec. 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS. HAROLD H- BROWN w\\ L\AM COOK ATTORN EVS NETALLIC BUILDING WALL Harold H. Brown, Miami Beach, and William Cook,

- Miami, Fla.

Application December 2, 1955, Serial No. 550,608 Claims. (Cl. 160-371) The present invention relates to metallic building walls, and in particular to one fabricated wholly of metal.

An object of the present invention is to provide a building wall fabricated of metallic screened panels for enclosing areas such as porches, patios, and swimming pools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a building wall fabricated of self-supporting metal panel frames which may be erected in such combinations and sizes as to enclose porches, patios, or swimming pools without other supporting means, and one which is sturdily constructed of durable material requiring no maintenance.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a building wall fabricated wholly of metal panel frames and metal screening which may be quickly and easily erected without special tools, and one which has interchangeable parts readily assembled and disassembled.

These and other'objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective fragmentary View of a buildiug fabricated of metallic building walls constructed according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a corner of one of the panels of the building wall of the present invention,

Figure 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 66 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the component parts of the wall panel of the present invention,

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing the method of securing a pair of panel frames to a concrete fitting,

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-.9 of Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentarysectional view showing another method of securing two panel frames together.

The metallic building wall of the present invention comprises an assembly of panels arranged in longitudinal abutting relation to form, for example, the adjoining Walls 10 and 11 and a covering roof 12, as seen in Figure 1. The panels of the walls 11 and 11 and the roof 12 are identical in construction and each includes a panel frame 13 embodying a pair of hollow metal side members 14 and 15 arranged in spaced upstanding relation and a cross hollow metal member 16 extending between each of the lower ends and each of the upper ends of the side members 14- and 15.

Each of the side members 14 and 15 and the cross member 16 is a U-shaped element having a web 19 and a pair of side flanges 17 and 13, each of the side flanges having an inwardly directed end portion 21, the end portions 21 lying in the same plane and stopping short of 2,837,153 Patented June 3, 1958 one another to define an opening 23. The web 19 has a groove 22 extending inwardly at an angle to the vertical adjacent the side flange 17.

A pair of ribs 24 and 25 are positioned interiorly of each of the side members 14 and 15 and the cross member 16, the ribs 24 and 25 extending inwardly from each of the side flanges 17 and 18 and in parallel spaced relation with respect to the end portions 21 and forming with the end portions 21 an inner slideway 26 and an outer slideway 27.

Referring to Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, it will be seen that a connecting element 28 having a pair of legs 29 and 31 arranged at a right angle with respect to' each other is positioned intermediate the end of the cross member 16 and the adjacent end of each of the side members 14 and 15 with the leg 29 slidably received in the inner slideway 26 of the cross member 16 and the other leg 31 slidably received in the inner slideway 26 of the end member 14 or 15. Each of the legs 29 and 31 has a transversely-arranged ridge 32 inwardly of its free end for frictionally binding the legs of the connecting element 28 within the respective slideways 26.

A reticulated covering 33, embodying a screen fabricated of aluminum, bronze, or other metal wire, or of plastic strands, extends over the spaced defined by each of the panel frames 13 and has its bounding edge portions anchored in the grooves 22 and the end plates 19 of each of the side members 14 and 15 and the cross members 16. The means anchoring the bounding edges of the covering 33 in the grooves 22 is seen most clearly in Figure 2 and constitutes a resilient, flexible tubular element 34 positioned in the bight formed in the bounding edge of the covering 33, there being a shoulder 35 on one side of the groove 22 which restrains movement outwardly of the groove of the covering bounding edge and the tubular element 34. v

The panel frames 13 of the walls 10 and 11 on the roof 12 are arranged so that the end plates 21 of the adjacent side members 14 and 15 abut each other. The one panel frame 13 at the free end of each of the walls It) and 11 and at the free edge of the roof 12 has its end plate 21 exposed. A cover plate 36 is therefore provided for closing the opening 23 in the end plate 21 and is insertable in the outer slideway 27, as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 7. Y

Fastening means is provided for connecting the adjacent side members of the panel frames 13 together. Specifically this fastening means embodies a bolt 37 having a threaded portion on each end and inserted in holes drilled through the side members 14 and 15 and having a nut 38 threadedly engaged on each of the threaded portions as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The panel frames 13 are divided at their midlength by a cross member 16identical with the cross member 16 except having square ends instead of ends cut onv the oblique as are the cross members 16 and the side members 14 and 15. The cross member 16' is supported in place, as seen in Figure 4, by a U-shaped support member 39 having its bight abutting the web 19 and secured thereto by a metal-working screw 41. The one leg of the support member 39 abuts against the portion of the web 19 which forms the groove 22, the portion being indicated by the reference numeral 44. i

In Figure 2, the means connecting the wall 11 to the wall 11 is shown. Specifically, this means embodies a square hollow post 45 secured to the adjacent'side members 14 and 15 by means of the bolts 46, there being provided a threaded hole in each of the adjacent walls of the post 45.

In Figure 3, it will be seen that the roof 12 is secured to the wall 11 by means of one of the bolts 37 with a nut 38 on each end thereof, the nuts 38 being preferably of the cap-nut type entirely covering the end of the bolt 37. The panel frames 13 of the roof 12 rest upon the upper one of the cross members 16, the opening between the end portions 21 thereof being closed by one of the cover plates 36.

In Figures 8 and 9, the means by which the panel frames 13 are connected to a concrete footing 47 is shown. A lead insert 48 is positioned in a hole provided in the footing 47 adjacent each end of the lower cross member 16 of the panel frame 13. The insert 43 has a tapering inner wall and a nut 49, shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, which expands the insert 43 when a bolt, such as the bolt 50, draws up the nut 49. The bolt 50 extends through holes provided in the cross member 16 and through the holes provided in the legs of the connecting elements 28. A double-ended bolt 51 extends through holes provided in'the side members 14 and 15 and through holes in the legs and the connecting elements 28.

In Figure 10, two panel frames 13 are connected together with the cross members 16 in abutting relation. These panel frames 13 are at one end of a wall panel and are adjacent a door opening. Cover plates 36 are here again used, as in Figures 3, 5, and 7 but are not shown, and close the open slot 23 of the exposed end plates 21. Bolts 52-are used to secure the legs 30 of the connecting elements 28 in the side members 15 and also extend through holes provided in the cover plates 36 which close the slots 23 in the exposed end plates 21. It is a feature of the invention that the cover plates 36 are only used in the side members 14 and 15 and in the cross members 16, 16', where the end portion 21 would be otherwise open and exposed. This permits the use of a single extruded metal piece in a semihollow form, as shown, and saves the expense of the construction of Special pieces for the exposed ends and top edges of wall and roof panels.

The angle at which the groove 22 extends inwardly of the web 19 of each of the side members 14 and 15 and the cross members 16 is another important feature of the present invention. First, its angular position prevents the pulling or forcing out of the covering 33. Secondly, the groove 22 is not readily Visible from either inside or outside a structure formed by the panel frames. Thirdly, the side flange 17 and the side flange 1% are each smooth to the touch and attractive to the eye from within or without the structure. Also, the means for securing the covering 33 is concealed. The outer end of the groove 22 is recessed from both the front and rear plates and the covering 33 is therefore supported in a guarded location relative to the faces of the panel frames formed by the side members and the cross members.

Preferably, the side members 14 and 15 and the'cross members 16 and 16' are fabricated of extruded aluminum, magnesium, or other lightweight and rigid metal and enable the user to enclose large areas without the bulkiness necessary if wood framing or other materials were used. If manufactured of extruded aluminum or magnesium, or other lightweight and rigid metal, as is preferred, the structures formed by the panel frames of the present invention are free of maintenance and replacement and therefore are economically practical.

The cover 33 is preferably fabricated of woven aluminum, bronze, Fiberglas, or other material which does not tarnish or corrode under normal atmospheric conditions. The cover 33 may also be fabricated of a translucent semirigid plastic material when used in panel frames which make up a roof or when used as the walls of greenhouses and the like.

A metallic building structure constructed of wall panels according to the present invention is rigid and requires no other support and may be used to enclose such areas V flanges having an inwardly directed end as porches, patios, and such areas as swimming pools of the residential type.

What is claimed is:

1. In a metallic building structure, a wall comprising at least two upstanding panels arranged in longitudinal abutting relation, each of said panels including a panel frame embodying a pair of hollow metal side members arranged in spaced upstanding relation and a cross hollow metal member extending between each of the lower ends and of the upper ends of said side members, each of said side and cross members embodying a U-shaped element having a web and a pair of side flanges, each of the side flanges having an inwardly directed end portion, the end portions of said flanges lying in the same plane and stopping short of one another to define an opening, and a pair of ribs interiorly of said element and extending inwardly from each of said side flanges and in parallel spaced relation with respect to said inwardly directed end portions and forming with said end portions an inner slideway and an outer slideway, a connecting element having a pair of legs arranged at a right angle with respect to each other positioned intermediate each end of each of said cross members and the adjacent end of each of said side members and having one leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent cross member and the other leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent side member, the panel frames of the two upstanding panels being arranged so that said inwardly directed end portions of the adjacent side members abut each other, and fastening means connecting the adjacent side members of said panel frames together.

2. In a metallic building structure, a wall comprising at least two upstanding panels arranged in longitudinal abutting relation, each frame embodying a pair of hollow metal side members arranged in spaced upstanding relation and a cross hollow metal member extending between each of the lower ends and of the upper ends of each side member, each of said side and cross members embodying a U-shaped element having a web and a pair of side flanges, each of the side portion, the end portions of said flanges lying in the same plane and stopping short of one another to define an opening, the web having a groove extending inwardly at an angle to the vertical adjacent one of said side flanges, and a pair of ribs interiorly of said element and extending inwardly from each of said side flanges and in parallel spaced relation with respect'to said inwardly directed end portions and forming with said end portions an inner slideway and an outer slideway, a connecting element having a pair of legs arranged at a right angle with respect to each other positioned intermediate each end of each of said cross members and the adjacent end of each of said side members and having one leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent cross member and the other leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent side member, a reticulated covering extending over the space defined by each panel frame and having its bounding edge portions anchored in the grooves of said webs of said side and cross members, the panel frames of the two upstanding panels being arranged so that said inwardly directed end portions of the adjacent side members abut each other, and fastening means connecting the adjacent side members of said panel frames together.

' 3. In a metallic building structure, a panel frame embodying a pair of hollow metal side members arranged in spaced upstanding relation and a cross hollow metal member extending between each of the lower ends and of the upper ends of said side members, each of said side and cross members embodying a U-shaped element having a web and a pair of side flanges, each of the side flanges having an inwardly directedend portion, the end portions of said flanges lying in the same plane and stopping short of one another to define, an opening, and a of said panels including a panel pair of ribs interiorly of said element and extending inwardly from each of said side flanges and in parallel spaced relation portions and forming with said end portions an inner slideway and an outer slideway, and a connecting element having a pair of legs arranged at a right angle with respect to each other positioned intermediate each end of each of said cross member and the adjacent end of each of said side members and'having one leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent cross member and the other leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent side member.

4. In a metallic building structure, a panel frame embodying a pair of hollow metal side members arranged in spaced upstanding relation and a cross hollow metal member extending between each of the lower ends and of the upper ends of said side members, each of said side and cross members embodying a U-shaped element having a web and a pair of side flanges, each of the side flanges having an inwardly directed end portion, the end portions of said flanges lying in the same plane and stopping short of one another to define an opening, the web having a groove extending inwardly at an angle to the vertical adjacent one of said side flanges, and a pair of ribs interiorly of said element and extending inwardly from each of said side flanges and in parallel spaced relation with respect to said inwardly directed end portions and forming with said end portions an inner slideway and an outer slideway, a connecting element having a pair of legs arranged at a right angle with respect to each other positioned intermediate each end of each of said cross members and the adjacent end of each of said side members and having one leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent cross member and the other leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent side member, and a cover plate -for insertion in the outer slideway of said side and cross members.

5. In a metallic building structure, a panel frame emwith respect to said inwardly directed end 1 other leg slidably received in bodying a pair of hollow metal side members arranged in spaced upstanding relation and a cross hollow'metal member extending between each of the lower ends and of the upper ends of said side members, each of said side and cross members embodying a U-shaped element having a web and a pair of side flanges, each of the side flanges having an inwardly directed end portion, the end portions of said flanges lying in the same plane and stopping short of one another to define an opening, the web having a groove extending inwardly at an angle to the vertical adjacent one of said side flanges, and a pair of ribs interiorly of said element and extending inwardly from each of said side flanges and in parallel spaced relation with respect to said inwardly directed end portions and forming with said end portions an inner slideway and an outer slideway, a connectingelement having a pair of legs arranged at a right angle with respect to each other positioned intermediate each end of each of said cross members and the adjacent end of each of said side members and having one leg slidably received in the inner slideway of the adjacent cross member and the the inner slideway of the adjacent side member, and a reticulated covering extending over the space defined by said frame and having its bounding edge portions anchored in the grooves of said webs of said side and cross members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,361 Keen Apr. 27, 1909 1,248,858 Higgin Dec. 4, 1917 1,608,672 Rappaport Nov. 30, 1926 1,711,670 Brennan May 7, 1929 1,734,710 Borchert .Nov. 5, 1929 2,101,349 Sharp Dec. 7, 1937 2,451,076 Edwards Oct. 12, 1948 

